State of the Practice of MSE Wall Design for Highway Structures

The state of the practice of MSE wall design has become more complex as more and more systems, engineers and researchers have become involved in the practice. There are correct ways to design MSE walls, to apply traffic surcharge, to select design parameters and backfill, to assess service life, to address special design conditions such as bridge abutments, traffic barriers and earthquakes, and to select the wall design method itself. Yet the complexity persists, arising from policy changes and a multitude of design choices. This paper will discuss these and other areas of confusion and provide clarification regarding accepted, reliable methods of MSE design that have been proven in the field for more than forty years.